About Us

Le Calabash ‘Petit Conservatoire de la Cuisine’ is located on the river Creuse in the Loire Valley, set in a small French hamlet on the edge of the local forest. Initial concerns about the level of cooking skills required are immediately dispelled by the informality of the environment, and the realization that the only qualifications needed are a love for food and the desire to learn about cooking.

Le Calabash

Le Calabash ‘Petit Conservatoire de la Cuisine’ is located on the river Creuse in the heart of the Indre et Loire region, set in a small French hamlet on the edge of the local forest. The region is home to the finest goat’s cheese producers and winemaking has been deeply rooted here for centuries. This area is simply known as France’s ‘Bread Basket’ At Le Calabash you will embark on a culinary adventure that will open new doors to flavours, techniques and skills that will enable you to follow your own flair and imagination. Initial concerns about the level of cooking skills required are immediately dispelled by the informality of the environment, and the realisation that the only qualifications needed are a love for food and the desire to learn about cooking.

The kitchen is a traditional French farmhouse kitchen that is fitted to allow you to feel at home and you will work with equipment that is normally used in the home kitchen.

Our Kitchen

The kitchen is a traditional French farmhouse kitchen that is fitted to allow you to feel at home and you will work with equipment that is normally used in the home kitchen.

The cookery courses provide a hands on opportunity to develop your culinary skills in a practical and supportive learning environment, as well as being on holiday in the most beautiful surroundings and the chance to make new friends.

The Classes

The classes are limited to 8 which allow Alison and Sidney to give personal attention to all guests. Alison and Sidney are award winning chefs with many years of international experience. After meeting at The Royal Swazi Sun Resort and Spa in Swaziland, they married and have enjoyed a colourful culinary career. They have cooked for several heads of state which have included Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and The Duke of Edinburgh, Prince William, Richard Attenbourgh, Mick Jagger, Madonna, Cher, Sylvester Stallone, U2, Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton. Alison and Sidney have won recognition by major food guides and have won medals at international level. Sidney was Captain of The British Craft Guild Team for 2000/2001 when they achieved a record medal total. The philosophy of this husband and wife team is ‘Balade Gormande sans Frontière’, Cooking without boundaries, or as Sidney would like to say, lets take a walk on the wild side, and he would, as he was born and raised on the plains of Zululand. They take traditional French cooking and introduce exotic flavours and traditions from around the world to create an exciting ‘culinary adventure’

You will leave ‘le Calabash’ with a new-found confidence and enthusiasm, impatient to return to your own kitchen to experiment with your skills.